Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Silviu Stefan Traian Cojocaru Author-Email: silviu.cojocaru@faa.unibuc.ro Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Business and Administration, University of Bucharest, Romania Author-Name: Mariana Camelia Cojocaru Author-Email: camelia.cojocaru@faa.unibuc.ro Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Business and Administration, University of Bucharest, Romania Title: Regulatory Governance, Managerial Decision-Making, and Safety Failure: The Boeing 737 Max Case Abstract: The Boeing 737 MAX crisis offers a paradigmatic case study in the governance of private and public sector relationships in safety-critical industries. This article examines how the Federal Aviation Administration's progressive delegation of certification authority to Boeing, through the Organisation Designation Authorisation (ODA) programme, created structural conditions for regulatory and managerial failure. These conditions contributed to two fatal accidents in 2018 and 2019. Drawing on institutional theory, principal-agent frameworks, and organisational safety literature, the article analyses four interconnected dimensions of governance failure: the institutional design of the certification system; the informational asymmetries and incentive misalignments that shaped managerial decision-making; the governance of automation as a socio-technical challenge; and the contextual financial consequences of sustained governance failure. The article argues that the MAX crisis was not primarily a product of individual misconduct or isolated engineering error. Rather, it resulted from organisational and institutional structures that systematically discouraged transparency, independent oversight, and safety-first decision-making. Classification-JEL: L93, L22, M14 DOI: Keywords: Boeing 737 MAX, corporate governance, principal-agent theory, automation governance, organisational decision-making Journal: Manager Pages: 7-17 Volume: 43 Issue: 1 Year: 2026 Month: May File-URL: https://manager.faa.ro/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/43m_7_17.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf File-URL: https://manager.faa.ro/?p=9240 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:but:manage:v:43:y:2026:i:1:p:7-17 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Mariana Camelia Cojocaru Author-Email: camelia.cojocaru@faa.unibuc.ro Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Business and Administration, University of Bucharest, Romania Title: Reframing Donabedian's Model as an Operational Maturity Framework: Evidence from the Romanian Public and Private Healthcare Abstract: The relationship between operations management practices and healthcare quality is well-established in the literature, yet the conditions under which these practices can be successfully transferred across organisational contexts remain poorly understood. This paper proposes a reinterpretation of Donabedian's classic structures-processes-outcomes model as a hierarchical operational maturity framework for healthcare organisations, in which progress on higher-order dimensions is conditioned on sufficient maturity at lower-order dimensions. The framework is applied to the Romanian healthcare context, where a sharp and well-documented asymmetry between the public and private sectors provides an instructive analytical setting. Drawing on documentary analysis of public sources including ANMCS accreditation reports, Eurostat and OECD data, peer-reviewed governance assessments, and private network annual reports, the paper identifies a structural maturity gap as the primary constraint on the transferability of operational excellence tools (TQM, Lean, Six Sigma) to Romanian public hospitals. Four theoretical propositions are advanced, with implications for healthcare management practice and future empirical research. Classification-JEL: M11, L32 DOI: Keywords: operations management, operational excellence, Donabedian model, healthcare quality, public-private healthcare Journal: Manager Pages: 18-31 Volume: 43 Issue: 1 Year: 2026 Month: May File-URL: https://manager.faa.ro/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/43m_18_31.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf File-URL: https://manager.faa.ro/?p=9246 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:but:manage:v:43:y:2026:i:1:p:18-31 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Namal Weerasena Author-Email: namalww@yahoo.com Author-Workplace-Name: Centre for Women's Research, Sri Lanka Title: Sri Lankan Labour Migrants in Romania: Work Conditions and Gendered Vulnerabilities Abstract: Romania has recently emerged as a destination for Sri Lankan labour migrants due to labour shortages in Eastern Europe and worsening economic conditions in Sri Lanka. Previous studies on migration to new European destinations have highlighted precarious employment, limited institutional protection, and gendered vulnerabilities; however, empirical evidence on Sri Lankan migrants in Romania remains limited. This study examines the drivers of migration, recruitment processes, working and living conditions, gendered challenges, and future migration aspirations of Sri Lankan labour migrants in Romania. The study is theoretically grounded in Push-Pull Theory, Dual Labour Market Theory, and Migration Systems Theory. Using a qualitative research design, data were collected through in-depth interviews with thirty migrants, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and participant observation conducted in Romania and Italy between September and December 2025. The findings indicate that migration decisions in Sri Lanka are shaped by unemployment, indebtedness, and economic crisis, alongside pull factors such as labour demand and perceived opportunities for European mobility. Migrants experience precarious employment, misleading recruitment practices, language barriers, and limited institutional support. Gendered challenges are particularly evident among women, including restricted job mobility, housing insecurity, and reliance on informal support networks. Although Romania offers relative safety and income opportunities, dissatisfaction with labour conditions fuels aspirations for onward migration. The study highlights the need for stronger recruitment regulation, gender-responsive migration governance, and enhanced bilateral cooperation to promote safer and more sustainable labour migration pathways. Classification-JEL: J61, J16, J49, F22 DOI: Keywords: Labour migration; Sri Lankan migrants; Romania; precarious employment; gendered vulnerabilities; migration governance Journal: Manager Pages: 32-45 Volume: 43 Issue: 1 Year: 2026 Month: May File-URL: https://manager.faa.ro/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/43m_32_45.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf File-URL: https://manager.faa.ro/?p=9251 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:but:manage:v:43:y:2026:i:1:p:32-45 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Marius-Robert Georgescu Author-Email: marius-robert.georgescu@ince.ro Author-Workplace-Name: Institute for Economic Forecasting, Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania Title: A Nonlinear Legislative Trajectory and its Market Implications in Multi-Pillar Pension Reform in Romania Abstract: Pension reform in Romania has unfolded within a context marked by legislative discontinuities and inconsistent policy commitment, reflecting broader instabilities at the level of the political decision-making process. The initial phase of reform was characterized by the adoption of two legislative acts that were never effectively implemented, followed by a more comprehensive and ambitious reform package that established the foundations of a multi-pillar pension system and introduced supervisory mechanisms for this segment of the financial market. Despite this promising institutional framework, the continuity of reform efforts weakened considerably. The early momentum was replaced by delays and partial implementation, most notably in the case of the pension guarantee fund, whose regulatory framework was significantly postponed, and the persistent lack of a fully operational system governing pension payments. These shortcomings illustrate the fragmented and non-sequential nature of the legislative process in this domain. A renewed phase of regulatory development emerged only after 2020, with the formal introduction of occupational pension schemes and the alignment of national legislation with European Union requirements through the adoption of provisions concerning the Pan-European Personal Pension Product (PEPP). These developments signal a gradual re-engagement with the objectives of pension system diversification and market consolidation. Against this background, the present study investigates the impact of Romania's evolving and often inconsistent legislative trajectory - including both primary and secondary regulations - on the structure and functioning of the private pension market. The analysis is further extended to incorporate the broader structural determinants shaping the system, including demographic trends, labour market participation, and fiscal constraints. In addition, the paper examines key systemic challenges, such as the persistence of early retirement mechanisms, the limited inclusion of low-contributory population groups, and the effects of informal economic activity on contribution levels. These demand-side limitations are analysed in conjunction with supply-side developments, including public pensions, mandatory privately managed funds, voluntary schemes, and occupational pensions. The study also assesses the potential role of the PEPP framework in fostering greater integration and flexibility within the pension market, while addressing the financial and institutional implications associated with transitioning toward a more sustainable system. By providing a comprehensive and critically grounded analysis, the paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the Romanian pension reform process and outlines directions for enhancing its long-term effectiveness and resilience. Classification-JEL: G23, G28 DOI: Keywords: pension legislation, public policy, multi-pillar pension system, social contributions, adjustment mechanisms, private pensions, guarantee fund, Pan-European Personal Pension Product (PEPP), voluntary pensions, occupational pensions Journal: Manager Pages: 46-60 Volume: 43 Issue: 1 Year: 2026 Month: May File-URL: https://manager.faa.ro/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/43m_46_60.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf File-URL: https://manager.faa.ro/?p=9256 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:but:manage:v:43:y:2026:i:1:p:46-60 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Catalina Saioc Author-Email: catalina.saioc@unibuc.ro Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Business and Administration, University of Bucharest, Romania Title: Community Cooperation and Social Resilience in a Low-Trust Wartime Context: Evidence from Ukraine Abstract: Ukraine entered the 2022 war with relatively low levels of institutional trust, raising an important question about how communities remain socially functional during extended crisis conditions. This article examines the role of community cooperation in sustaining social resilience during the 2022-2024 war period. Drawing on polycentric governance and antifragility frameworks, the paper analyzes social cohesion indicators from institutional reports alongside documented cooperation practices to assess how cooperation developed at the local level during the conflict. The analysis focuses on interactions between local authorities, civil society organizations, and volunteer networks engaged in community support and recovery initiatives. The findings suggest a functional decoupling between institutional trust and community cooperation: while trust in public authorities fluctuated during the war, community cooperation remained relatively stable. Informal local networks played an important role in organizing support activities and maintaining basic services when formal institutions were under pressure. These findings suggest that community-level cooperation can remain stable even in low-trust wartime environments, highlighting the importance of local coordination for sustaining social resilience. Classification-JEL: H12, H83, F22 DOI: Keywords: social resilience, civil society, volunteer networks, Ukraine, institutional trust Journal: Manager Pages: 61-68 Volume: 43 Issue: 1 Year: 2026 Month: May File-URL: https://manager.faa.ro/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/43m_61_68.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf File-URL: https://manager.faa.ro/?p=9262 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:but:manage:v:43:y:2026:i:1:p:61-68 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Sorin-Alin Oprea Author-Email: sorin-alin.oprea@ince.ro Author-Workplace-Name: Institute for Economic Forecasting, Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania Title: The Role of Renewable Sources and Emerging Energy Technologies in Supporting Sustainable Economic Growth: Case Study on Energy Communities Abstract: The energy transition based on renewable sources and emerging energy technologies became an important element of contemporary sustainable development strategies in the context of increasing environmental pressures and the need to limit the link between economic growth and resource-intensive consumption. The paper examines how renewable sources and emerging energy technologies can support sustainable economic growth through the contribution of a pilot energy community project in relation to SDG indicator 7.1, SDG indicator 8.1.1 and SDG indicator 9.4.1. The topic is motivated by the difference between the macro level of defining the SDGs and the need to understand the micro mechanisms through which local initiatives can contribute directly or indirectly to their achievement. The research methodology combines qualitative analysis of the specialized literature with the case study method. The results show that the project contributes to the improvement of the access quality to energy through local renewable production; it partially reduces energy costs and also reduces emissions associated with electricity consumption from the grid. The analysis also highlights the limits of using SDG indicators at a micro scale, especially in the case of macroeconomic indicators. The contribution of the paper is to propose a cautious approach in appliance of SDG indicators at the local level and uses them as interpretative tools and not as direct causal measures. The recommendations aim to strengthen the legislative and economic framework for energy communities, stimulate self-consumption and energy sharing, and integrate these initiatives into national energy transition and sustainable development strategies. Classification-JEL: Q42, Q48, O13, O33 DOI: Keywords: Energy communities, Renewable energy transition, SDG indicators, Sustainable economic growth Journal: Manager Pages: 69-87 Volume: 43 Issue: 1 Year: 2026 Month: May File-URL: https://manager.faa.ro/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/43m_69_87.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf File-URL: https://manager.faa.ro/?p=9267 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:but:manage:v:43:y:2026:i:1:p:69-87 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Ioan Bulz Author-Email: ioan.bulz@ince.ro Author-Workplace-Name: Institute for Economic Forecasting, Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania Title: Corruption Perception, Investment and GDP Growth: A Comparative Econometric Analysis for Romania and EU-27 Abstract: The paper examines the dynamics of sustainable development in the European Union and Romania, through the lens of the relationship between governance quality, institutional performance and the vulnerabilities generated by economic criminality and corruption. The analytical framework is structured around three Sustainable Development Goals selected for their complementarity in capturing the transmission mechanisms through which corruption and economic criminality generate economic and social costs: SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). This selection is motivated by the fact that SDG 16 indicators directly reflect governance quality and the effectiveness of law enforcement mechanisms, SDG 8 indicators capture economic performance and labour market dynamics, while SDG 3 indicators illustrate the indirect effects of corruption on population welfare through pressures on public financing and the quality of essential services. The research purpose is threefold: comparative analysis of the evolution of indicators associated with the three selected SDGs for all 27 EU member states; identification of the economic and social costs generated by corruption and economic criminality by correlating institutional performance with socio-economic outcomes; and econometric modelling of the relationship between the corruption perception index and real GDP per capita, with gross fixed capital formation as a control variable, applied comparatively for Romania and the EU-27 aggregate. The study adopts a quantitative, descriptive, comparative, and longitudinal approach, based on secondary data from official institutional sources: the Eurostat database, the Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International, the National Institute of Statistics data and the European Court of Human Rights reports. The econometric modelling uses OLS regression with HAC correction, estimated in EViews, yielding an R-squared of 73.12% for Romania. The results reveal that reducing corruption has a standardised impact on GDP per capita dynamics (beta = 0.386) exceeding that of gross investment (beta = 0.351) in Romania, while for EU-27 the corruption impact is almost halved (beta = 0.199). Classification-JEL: C22, D73, O43, O52 DOI: Keywords: sustainable development, corruption, economic criminality, institutional governance, Corruption Perceptions Index, European convergence Journal: Manager Pages: 88-108 Volume: 43 Issue: 1 Year: 2026 Month: May File-URL: https://manager.faa.ro/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/43m_88_108.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf File-URL: https://manager.faa.ro/?p=9272 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:but:manage:v:43:y:2026:i:1:p:88-108 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Ana-Maria Peca (Oprea) Author-Email: ana-maria.peca@ince.ro Author-Workplace-Name: Institute for Economic Forecasting, Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania Title: The Implications of Emerging Technologies on the Sustainable Development Goals Abstract: The paper investigates the relationship between emerging technologies and the progress of European Union Member States towards three goals of the 2030 Agenda: Goal 4 (Quality Education), Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure). The analysis follows how innovation, digital human capital and readiness for artificial intelligence are reflected in the social and economic performance of European countries. The research started from three research hypotheses: (1) countries with more advanced digital human capital have higher levels of basic digital skills; (2) innovation makes a significant contribution to economic performance; (3) investments in research and development strengthen a country's capacity to integrate artificial intelligence technologies. The methodology combines quantitative analysis (simple linear regressions) with qualitative analysis based on official data and reports published by Eurostat, the European Commission and Oxford Insights. The sample covers all 27 European Union States over the period 2021-2023. The results show a positive link between technological development and progress towards sustainable development goals 4, 8 and 9. The statistical models confirm the importance of digital skills, innovation, and AI readiness in supporting sustainable economic development. Even though emerging technologies have positive effects, some countries still face challenges related to the quality of employment, regional disparities, and unequal access to digital skills. Overall, emerging technologies can support the achievement of the goals when accompanied by inclusive policies, lifelong learning and investment in digital skills and connectivity. Classification-JEL: O11, O32, O33, O52 DOI: Keywords: Technological Change; Management of Technological Innovation and R&D; Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development; Economywide Country Studies Journal: Manager Pages: 109-121 Volume: 43 Issue: 1 Year: 2026 Month: May File-URL: https://manager.faa.ro/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/43m_109_121.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf File-URL: https://manager.faa.ro/?p=9277 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:but:manage:v:43:y:2026:i:1:p:109-121 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Anca Hotoi Author-Email: ancahotoi@gmail.com Author-Workplace-Name: The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania Title: Long-term Evolution of Search Visibility and Click-Through Performance in Romanian E-commerce: A Four-Year Longitudinal Analysis of Google Ads Data Abstract: The integration of artificial intelligence into Google Ads bidding and delivery systems - through Smart Bidding strategies, the transition from Smart Shopping to Performance Max and the progressive generalization of fully automated campaign types - has coincided with a period of structural change in the broader digital advertising ecosystem, marked by privacy-related signal loss, the deprecation of third-party cookies and a substantial reshaping of consumer search behavior in the post-pandemic period. This paper analyzes the long-term evolution of search visibility and click-through performance in a Romanian e-commerce account over a 47-month observation window, using monthly aggregated Google Ads data on impressions and clicks. Results document a non-monotonic trajectory: an initial high-visibility phase with impressions exceeding two million per month and click-through rates above 2.2%, a peak-volume phase with the highest aggregate impressions in the dataset and a click-through rate stabilizing around 1.9%, and a sustained decline phase in which average monthly impressions fall to less than half of their previous peak while the click-through rate remains broadly stable. Seasonal patterns concentrated in the fourth quarter persist throughout the observation window. The findings illustrate, in a Romanian retail setting, the long-term consequences of operating in an algorithmically mediated and privacy-constrained advertising ecosystem, and they have implications for budget planning, performance benchmarking and the interpretation of long-term trends in digital advertising data. Classification-JEL: M31, M37, L81, O33 DOI: Keywords: Google Ads, search visibility, click-through rate, longitudinal analysis, artificial intelligence, e-commerce, digital advertising Journal: Manager Pages: 122-130 Volume: 43 Issue: 1 Year: 2026 Month: May File-URL: https://manager.faa.ro/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/43m_122_130.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf File-URL: https://manager.faa.ro/?p=9363 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:but:manage:v:43:y:2026:i:1:p:122-130 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Anca Hotoi Author-Email: ancahotoi@gmail.com Author-Workplace-Name: The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania Title: Two Decades of Digital Marketing Research: From Web-Based Consumer Influence to AI-Mediated Marketing Decisions Abstract: The past two decades have witnessed a profound transformation of digital marketing, both as a managerial practice and as a field of academic inquiry. This paper offers a narrative review of this transformation, organized around four overlapping eras: the web infrastructure era of the early 2010s, in which the operational foundations of digital marketing capabilities were established; the social analytics era of the mid-2010s, in which monitoring tools, search-based AI applications and the systematic study of online consumer influence emerged; the maturation era of the late 2010s and the pandemic shock of 2020-2022, in which algorithmic ad delivery became the operational default and consumer behavior was substantially reshaped; and the AI-mediated era of 2023-2026, in which generative AI, fully algorithmic campaign types and privacy-related signal loss have redefined the conditions of digital advertising. For each era, the paper identifies the dominant technological capabilities, the corresponding consumer-behavior questions and the main research approaches developed in response. Three short illustrative cases drawn from Romanian small and medium e-commerce settings are used to ground the conceptual discussion in contemporary empirical practice. The review concludes with a synthesis of cross-era continuities and discontinuities, with implications for the design of empirical research in digital marketing and with directions for future inquiry in the increasingly algorithmic and generative-AI-mediated marketing environment. Classification-JEL: M31, M37, O33, L86 DOI: Keywords: digital marketing, artificial intelligence, consumer behavior, social media, narrative review, algorithmic delivery, e-commerce Journal: Manager Pages: 131-140 Volume: 43 Issue: 1 Year: 2026 Month: May File-URL: https://manager.faa.ro/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/43m_131_140.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf File-URL: https://manager.faa.ro/?p=9368 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:but:manage:v:43:y:2026:i:1:p:131-140 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Mara-Antonia Badarau Author-Email: maraantonia0503@gmail.com Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Administration and Business, University of Bucharest, Romania Author-Name: Patrick Banu Author-Email: patricckbanu@gmail.com Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Administration and Business, University of Bucharest, Romania Title: Entrepreneurial Intention Under Digital and Environmental Uncertainty: Evidence from Young Adults in an Emerging Economy Abstract: This paper explores the influence of digital competencies and entrepreneurial competencies on entrepreneurial intention in the context of digital and environmental uncertainty among young adults from an emerging economy. The study investigates how technological adaptability, continuous learning, and entrepreneurial skills contribute to professional development and entrepreneurial orientation in a constantly changing economic environment. In the contemporary digital economy, technological transformation, artificial intelligence, and labour market instability increasingly influence individuals' professional perspectives and career development. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines quantitative analysis conducted in SPSS with qualitative analysis performed in NVivo in order to identify the main relationships, themes, and perceptions associated with professional and entrepreneurial success. The findings highlight positive relationships between digital competencies, entrepreneurial competencies, adaptability, and entrepreneurial intention. The results also emphasize the importance of continuous learning, technological skills, flexibility, initiative, and opportunity recognition in responding to the challenges generated by digital transformation and environmental uncertainty. The study contributes to the understanding of entrepreneurial intention in emerging economies and underlines the importance of developing digital and entrepreneurial competencies in contemporary education and professional development programmes. Classification-JEL: L26, M13, O33, J24 DOI: Keywords: entrepreneurial intention, digital competencies, entrepreneurial competencies, digital uncertainty, environmental uncertainty, human capital Journal: Manager Pages: 141-156 Volume: 43 Issue: 1 Year: 2026 Month: May File-URL: https://manager.faa.ro/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/43m_141_156.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf File-URL: https://manager.faa.ro/?p=9374 File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:but:manage:v:43:y:2026:i:1:p:141-156